eds. Brown, Fitzmeyer, Murphy, pp. 639, 640
Matthew 4:17:
“From then on Jesus began…
This introductory formula (used again in 16:21) solemnly inaugurates Jesus’ ministry.
Repent (see comment on 3:2: “A change of mind: Turn away from sin and toward God.”
The Kingdom of Heaven is at hand:
The proclamation of the near arrival of God’s Kingdom is the central message of Jesus, and along with the resurrection the basis and object of Christian HOPE. Derived from the night vision of Daniel (7:13-14) the Kingdom represents the future, final salvation of all humanity socially, politically, and spiritually, through an exercise of the sovereignty of God establishing justice and peace on earth as well as in heaven (6:33; Rom. 14:17). In Dan 7:13-14 it is given to “one like a Son of Man” and Matthew identifies this mysterious figure with Jesus coming again in glory. Thus for Christians the kingdom HOPE includes faith in Christ as end-time savior…. We have a foretaste of the Kingdom. The circumlocution “Kingdom of Heaven is unfortunate because it misleads people into thinking that the Kingdom is only in heaven and not to be on earth (6:10). The Kingdom is also to be the content of the disciples’ preaching:’ “Herald and say the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand.”(10:7) [this is the “script” for evangelism].
All of the rewards (in Matt. 5) will find their realization in the KG. The passive is a theological passive: God will comfort, fill, have mercy. All of the reward verbs are in the future tense except the first and last; future eschatology dominates throughout.”
